Fiji Water is one of the most popular water brands in the US, and many people think it tastes better than other brands of bottled water. The brand's website describes their product line as "Earth's Finest Water."
But is Fiji Water good for you? How can you determine whether a bottled water brand is healthy or not? How does Fiji Water compare to other popular bottled water brands? And is Fiji Water healthier than tap water?
In this article we'll answer all of these questions and more, as we share our opinion on the healthiness of Fiji Water based on clinical studies.
We'll compare the healthiness of Fiji Water to tap water in the US, and then compare the healthiness of Fiji Water to other bottled water brands.
Is Fiji Healthier Than Tap?
Whether or not Fiji Water is healthier than tap water depends on the quality of tap water in your local area.
Unfortunately, data on the contaminants in local tap water in the US is not easily accessible.
Tap water can contain varying levels of microplastics, heavy metals and other contaminants, and while it's regulated by the federal government, some areas of the US have undrinkable tap water, as documented by the Flint water crisis.
However, a medical review published in the Frontiers in Chemistry journal found that bottled water contained 2x more (endocrine-disrupting) microplastics than tap water.
Later in this article, we'll explain why we don't consider tap water or Fiji Water to be the healthiest water choice.
Overall, we consider tap water in the US to be healthier than Fiji Water given the stricter regulations on tap water, but there are some regions in the US (like Flint) where Fiji Water would be a safer choice.
Fiji vs. the Competition
Here's our take on the healthiness of Fiji compared to other popular bottled water brands:
Dasani
Dasani water is also packaged in plastic, but Fiji Water may be superior from a nutritional perspective.
As documented on the brand's FAQs page, Fiji Water contains 15 or more milligrams (mg) of magnesium and calcium per liter.
We didn't note any naturally-occurring minerals in our review of Dasani Water.
Winner: Fiji Water
Pellegrino
Pellegrino is superior to Fiji Water from a nutritional perspective on two fronts: higher nutrient levels, and glass bottle packaging options.
According to FineWaters, Pellegrino contains 12x more calcium and 4x more magnesium per liter than Fiji Water.
Pellegrino can also be purchased in glass bottles, which reduces health risks from consumption of microplastics.
Winner: Pellegrino
Liquid Death
Neither brand contains a significant amount of naturally-occurring minerals, so the relevant differentiator here, from a health perspective, is the packaging.
Liquid Death is packaged in aluminum, which is a healthier option in our opinion than single-use plastic, and may reduce intake of microplastics.
Winner: Liquid Death
Fiji Water's Fascinating Backstory
Due to the ubiquity of the brand, Fiji Water is now the country's biggest export.
This video from YouTube creator "hoser" has over one million views and explains how Fiji Water came to be the biggest business in Fiji:
Our Clean Water Picks
Brita Water Filter is our top countertop water filter pick, because it's been shown in studies conducted by ConsumerLab (an independent research firm) to significantly reduce heavy metal levels and entirely eliminate microplastics.
UVBrite is our top water bottle pick, because it's made of stainless steel which means it's free of potential microplastic leaching (an issue with plastic bottles).
This bottle can even filter water using ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths of light which are clinically shown to be effective for removing harmful contaminants like bacteria.
Aquasana Whole House Water Filter is our top whole-home filtration solution.
Whole-home filters reduce contaminants in all taps and all showers throughout the house, and are the most thorough way to ensure the purity of drinking and bathing water.
